Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Why We Need More Colin Powell

"What is the greatest threat facing us now? People will say it’s terrorism. But are there any terrorists in the world who can change the American way of life or our political system? No. Can they knock down a building? Yes. Can they kill somebody? Yes. But can they change us? No. Only we can change ourselves. So what is the great threat we are facing?

"I would approach this differently, in almost Marshall-like terms. What are the great opportunities out there—ones that we can take advantage of? It should not be just about creating alliances to deal with a guy in a cave in Pakistan. It should be about how do we create institutions that keep the world moving down a path of wealth creation, of increasing respect for human rights, creating democratic institutions, and increasing the efficiency and power of market economies? This is perhaps the most effective way to go after terrorists."

Colin Powell
Circa September 10, 2007
(More of Powell's wisdom in next month's GQ)

4 comments:

Unknown said...

And, if that doesn't work, we can simply hug the terrorists into submission. Never under estimate the power of a good hug.

Marc said...

Ha. I love ya' Hickman... but I'll never understand attempts to frame as weak an approach to fighting terrorism that doesn't alienate our allies worldwide or undermine the very values we claim to be fighting for. Obstinate, brute force, and an "ends justifies the means" mentality does not equate to strength in my mind.

Anonymous said...

Very impressive - too bad he wont ever run.

JaNae said...

marc has a blog?? what the....!!!